You may hate the Nazi army.

Justifiably.

But few can deny the slick, polished design of the uniform...in particular, that of the Schutzstaffel, or SS.

And as we're about to see...there was more to this move than meets the eye.

The colors were familiar

This was a smart psychological move.

The designer, Walter Heck, knew that using colors from the past - which people associated with periods of glory - was an incredible trick, appealing to people on a subliminal level.

It didn't hurt that the elite Jesuit society was also arrayed in black.

Bingo.

A psychological weapon of fear

There's a reason Hollywood adores the familiar black outfit.

Sleek, dark and well-fitted to size, the uniforms embodied the antagonistic character who wore them - intelligent, sharp and evil.

During the peak of their usage, Heinrich Himmler - one of Hitler's closest aides - noted that "there are many people who fall ill when they see this uniform". Clearly these guys cared not about being loved, but to drum fear within the hearts of the masses.

Propaganda and Vanity

Underlying so many societal norms in the late 1930s-early 1940s was the racist Aryan ideology...the idea that only a certain type of German, with very particular physical characteristics and racial lineages, could be considered "pure" or "uncontaminated."

To further this ideology, they'd use fit and handsome men to display the outfits. After all, only the best represented the best. Everything propagated superiority and supremacy...and the people believed it.

After all...your clothing is your identity.